Xiang Zhan dashed off to Yinyu Hall like a wisp of smoke and soon dashed back, panting, "Miss, Young Master Yuan, Young Master Yuan is still having his breakfast!"
He also relayed a message to Song Jiyun, "Young Master Yuan invites you over for a cup of tea!"
At this hour? Still time for tea!
Song Jiyun hurried to Yinyu Hall.
However, just a day later, Yinyu Hall seemed like it had changed entirely.
The morning sunlight shone on the lush greenery, with dew sparkling at the tips of the leaves.
Under the painted green-and-blue eaves hung a row of black-gold birdcages.
Mesias, liwi, orioles, parrots... chirping incessantly in the cages; one hopping up, another jumping down, none staying still.
And there Yuan Yunzhong stood, holding a small bowl in front of the birdcage, feeding the birds.
Song Jiyun took a deep breath.
When had he acquired so many birds?
Song Jiyun called out, "Young Master Yuan."
Yuan Yunzhong looked up at her, handed the small bowl to a servant boy beside him, took a hot handkerchief from a little maid, wiped his hands, and said, "You’ve arrived."
"Yes!" responded Song Jiyun, her smile containing a hint of mockery as she slightly curled her lips, "I haven’t been here for just a few days, and to think it has turned into Hundred Birds Garden."
"Not quite yet," Yuan Yunzhong, appearing as if he had not understood her joke, seriously answered after handing back the handkerchief, "If you want a Hundred Birds Garden, you’ll need to add a few cranes and peacocks."
Song Jiyun, feeling indignant, scrutinized him thoroughly.
He wore a lake-blue plain Hangzhou silk robe, its light color and excellent drape accentuating his tall stature, broad shoulders, and slender legs, giving him the air of a graceful willow tree, casual yet pleasing to the eye.
She forgot the words on the tip of her tongue, taking a few extra moments to look.
Yuan Yunzhong raised an eyebrow, giving her a piercing look.
Coming back to herself, Song Jiyun felt slightly uneasy, but she immediately suppressed this feeling and said indifferently, "I see you’re already prepared. Should we head out then?"
"What’s the rush?" Yuan Yunzhong said, and Shao Qing appeared from nowhere, holding a red-lacquered, gold-painted tea tray, smiling at her, "Miss Song, please have some tea."
"No need!" Song Jiyun politely declined with a smile, turning her head to look again at Yuan Yunzhong, her gaze now carrying a trace of displeasure, "We need to hurry to Wensi Building."
Yuan Yunzhong, leisurely adjusting his robe, sat down by a beauty’s couch, picked up a cup of tea, and said, "Wensi Building is just a quarter-hour away. We’ll make it in time."
That meant, he had not only carefully read the flower banquet regulations she wrote yesterday but also enquired about some details of the banquet.
Then why did he speak so?
Song Jiyun looked at him puzzled.
But Yuan Yunzhong didn’t even glance her way as he sipped his tea and continued, "We are not the first to receive the invitation, so why arrive so early?"
Song Jiyun’s expression subtly shifted.
Though unsure why Yuan Yunzhong said this, she had to admit his words greatly appealed to her.
If they hadn’t made any special arrangements for her, why should she abide by those rules?
As for Registrar Wang, who extended the invitation, such occasions would definitely require him to attend to Magistrate Jiang, staying by his side, and to entertain many other people. Whether she arrived early or late, what difference did it make?
These thoughts swiftly passed through her mind when Yuan Yunzhong’s voice reached her ears again, "So, have you looked into that Magistrate Jiang?"
Song Jiyun quickly composed herself and said, "He is from Xi County, Anhui, became an Imperial Scholar in the first year of Tianshun. Before that, he served as the Magistrate of Ding County, but beyond that, I know nothing else."
After speaking, her eyes brightly looked at Young Master Yuan.
Dealing with officials sometimes requires just a small matter to break through.
If she could get some information from Young Master Yuan, that would be even better.
Even if he didn’t ask her, she was prepared to find an opportunity to ask him.
Young Master Yuan’s jaw tensed, his facial features looking more pronounced and clear.
He remained silent for a while before he said, "The Magistrate of Ding County holds the seventh rank, while the Prefect of Liang County, due to the coordination with Jingde Town Imperial Kiln Factory, holds the fifth rank. He was transferred from Baoding Prefecture to Liang County; although it’s far from the Capital City, he was promoted by two ranks."
Implicitly, he either had a background or pulled some strings.
Song Jiyun subtly shifted her gaze and took the opportunity to talk about Lord Jiang, "I heard that Registrar Wang is finding him a maid, but I didn’t hear about him finding a house. He must have an average family background, having brought his family with him when he assumed office. I just don’t know whether he brought his wife or Lady Ru."
Behind the Government Office, there’s a residence for the Magistrate to live in, provided free of charge. But some Magistrates, upon assuming office, might find it neither spacious nor luxurious enough, opting to buy a house or "borrow" a stay in a local gentry’s villa.
Surprise flashed in Young Master Yuan’s eyes, seemingly not expecting her to have gleaned these details from Registrar Wang.
With a playful and cunning smile, Song Jiyun said, "Registrar Wang can be quite accommodating sometimes."
Young Master Yuan also smiled, his eyes shimmering as if with starlight, "He is in his fifties now. At his age, and never having entered Hanlin, he probably won’t rise any further."
Was he informing her that Lord Jiang had no hope of further promotions, possibly serving as Prefect of Liang County until his retirement?
She would need to get on well with him.
Since Young Master Yuan knew so much, Song Jiyun was certainly encouraged to prompt him further, "Then do you know who was the chief examiner in the first year of Tianshun? Were there others from that batch whose careers were especially successful?"
She looked delighted, her cheeks faintly flushed, like plum blossoms against the snow, exceptionally beautiful.
Young Master Yuan gazed deeply at her, pausing before he somberly said, "The chief examiner of that year has already retired. The most successful from that cohort is now a Vice Minister at the Ministry of Works. Besides, there’s one in the Ministry of Personnel as a Registrar. Though it’s not a high position, he’s been there for over a decade without any movement, quite the old hand."
Such an old hand was naturally not so incorruptible.
Song Jiyun smiled even more brightly, pressing him with several more questions. If Shao Qing hadn’t come over to say it was getting late, she wouldn’t have realized so much time had passed.
However, with Young Master Yuan knowing so much, her meeting with Lord Jiang would surely yield twice the result with half the effort.
Elated, she stood up and went with Young Master Yuan in a sedan chair to Wensi Building.
Wensi Building should have been cleared.
The usually bustling street was quiet at midday with only a few figures about, who upon closer inspection, were all servants and attendants.
Upon seeing Song Jiyun’s sedan, someone immediately stepped forward and in a low voice commanded, "Today the Dignified County Magistrate graces us, irrelevant people should swiftly move away."
Zheng Quan’s face changed.
When Song Youliang was alive, no one dared speak to a member of the Song Family like this.
He came forward to argue.
But Song Jiyun stopped him, stretching out her hand from behind the sedan curtain, presenting an invitation.
The red card with sprinkled golden paper, the blue curtain, and her white, tender hand like frost against snow, made the people outside Wensi Building hold their stares, lowering their heads to pay respects amidst Zheng Quan’s scornful laughter.
Song Jiyun and Young Master Yuan entered Wensi Building side by side.
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